Congressman Heck Reacts to Ruling Against the Affordable Care Act

Statement

Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) released the following statement after a federal judge in Texas v. United States struck down the Affordable Care Act, including its protections for people with pre-existing conditions:

"The fight for affordable health care has morphed into a game of chutes and ladders," said Heck. "This misguided ruling represents a spiteful and steep slide down for those of us who want to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans. No matter how hard we try to push the conversation forward, we find the basic tenets of the Affordable Care Act under attack by the White House and in the courts. The opponents take calculated steps to undo all that this landmark law was able to do -- provide Americans with comprehensive, affordable insurance so everyone can access the medical treatment they need to stay healthy. I don't know of any elected official who can sleep at night knowing that they ripped affordable health care away from millions of Americans and also made it increasingly unaffordable for the rest. Policymaking and governing is supposed to be about solutions, not sabotage, and it's past time that President Trump and his allies in Congress come to learn that."

On December 14, a federal judge ruled the ACA unconstitutional. This lawsuit was brought by twenty Republican state attorneys general after the deficit-exploding tax scam zeroed out the mandate that everyone carry health insurance. In June 2018, President Trump announced that his administration would not defend the ACA in this lawsuit. Shortly after, Congressman Heck cosponsored H.Res. 1031, a resolution that would allow the House of Representatives to intervene and defend the ACA in Texas v. United States.

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